THE WOMEN'S ROOM

US, 1980, 120 minutes, Colour.
Lee Remick, Colleen Dewhurst, Patty Duke, Kathryn Harrold, Tovah Feldshuh, Lisa Pelikan, Ted Danson, Tyne Daly, Mare Winningham, Gregory Harrison.
Directed by Glenn Jordan.

The Women's Room is based on the feminist novel by Marilyn French. It was adapted for the television screen by Carol Sobieski, a veteran of many films-and telemovies. The film was produced by Lee Remick's husband Kip Gowan and directed by Glenn Jordan, a director of many fine telemovies.

The strength of the film is in its strong stance and feminist point of view. It is deliberately preaching and focusing on women, especially angers, women's self-image, self-assertion. The film has a very strong cast led by Lee Remick in a persuasive role, ageing from a teenager to a middle-aged woman, from a flighty girl through an American Dream house wife to a woman who stands on her own feet as a lecturer. There is good support from such actresses as Tyne Daly. Colleen Dewhurst has her usual earth-mother role - and perpetual grin. The men appear, obviously, to less advantage. Ted Danson has a central role as Lee Remick's husband. Gregory Harrison is a bit too literally dreamy as the ideal man.

The film is long, covers 20 years of American history - but is an interesting and thoughtful presentation of women's issues in the United States scene.

1. The work of Marilyn French, adapting her novel to the television screen? Enjoyable, serious?

2. The film as a telemovie, its style, for the home audience? A portrait of women? Preaching? Messages? The final song (written by Anna McGarrigle? and sung by Linda Ronstadt?

3. Audience response to feminist issues, the portrait of American women, American society in the middle of the 20th century? Stereotypes and tradition? Male and female roles and expectations? Men and women and their places in the American Dream? The changes of the 1960s, self-image, self-assertion, confidence, women in professional roles, equality? Women and their personal lives, relationships? The importance of feminine sexuality? A persuasive, it deliberate presentation of women's issues?

4. The length of the film, the overview from the 1950s to the '70s? A 1980s perspective on the issues? Simplifying issues and characters for the television audience? The re-creation of periods - and their credibility?

5. Mira as the focus of the film? This American woman? The opening with Val, her fear and taking refuge in the women's room? Flashbacks to understand her fear in middle age? Audiences interested in finding out about Mira? Arriving again at that point? Her development and future?

6. The voice-over technique, Lee Remick's style as Mira, the effect of commentary, words commenting on images? The image of Mira in the rocking chair reflecting?

7. Mira and her memories: The American girl of the '50s, her relationship with boys, the football team, drinking, dancing, the boys leering and chasing her, her reputation, immaturity, the town, her religious background, parents? Her being rescued by Norm and its effect on her? Their marrying? An ordinary young woman, reticent on her wedding night, frigid? The ordinary patterns of her life? Her pregnancy and Norm's outburst and hurt about his studies and money? Her ruining his life? The effect of the taunts on Mira? The hospital sequences, the difficult birth and the insensitive doctors? Mira's own pain at birth? Her not seeing her baby? Her relationship with Norm and its tensions? The two boys, managing the young children, their crying and tantrums? Norm and his being awake all night? Attacking her? Her having to cope?

8. Mira's friends and their lives, expectations - the nuclear family of the '50s, suburbia? Moving into the new home? Having the women over? Their sitting in the park watching their babies and talking? The stereotyped feminine observations? Their attitudes towards women who work? Their parties, fashion magazines? Being seductive to their husbands? Samantha and her decision to work (and the later truth about her concealing her husband's ineptitude, and her borrowing the $300, Lucy and her tough-mindedness, her immature husband and her hanging onto him for financial security, her affair with Adele's husband? Adele, her Catholic background, her many children, her nervous tension? her husband having an affair? Lily and her clinging child and her asking him not to? His growing into a bully? Her husband and his macho attitudes towards assertiveness? The parties, the glamour, the talk? Not going to work? Their attitude towards responsibility to their families? The consequences for each of the women? Lucy and her brittle marriage? Samantha and her separating? Adele and her going mad? Lily's nervous breakdown, electric shock treatment?

9. Mira and her coping, wanting to help Samantha, the argument with Norm about the $300? The children growing up? Her achieving a kind of peace and Norm breaking the news about the divorce? Her anger, grief, trying to kill herself? The hospital? The repercussions on the custody of the boys? Their going to boarding school? Her-visit to Lily and her farewell?

10. Her decision to stand on her own feet? Going to school? A new life? Being very careful? The background of 1960s? Change and the campus revolutions? Greater freedom?

11. Her fears, hiding in the women's room? It being a refuge? Her friendship with Val and her women's group? Val and her frankness in talk about women, professionalism, sexuality? her daughter? The young lover? The other women in the group, Sarley and his macho attitudes towards his wife, Esel and her friendship, the talk at the parties, the frank exchanges and Mira's embarrassment? The picnic and the frank advice given to Mira? The attraction towards Ben? Meeting him, their falling out at the first clash? The decision to try again? Their falling in love sharing, the collage of the sexual encounter with their shared friendships?

12. The visit of her children, their non-relating to her, watching TV, talking about their father? His not being able to talk to them? The second visit and Mira concealing the truth? Her deciding to tell the truth, their coming into her room and supporting her? The older boy and his father pressurising him to be a doctor? Ben’s friendship, playing baseball? Possibilities?

13. Norm and his rescuing Mira, his being trapped in his masculine attitudes, preoccupied about his study, the reaction to the pregnancy, his reactions towards the children growing up? His affair? His leaving Mira? Callous attitudes, professionalism and wanting to be successful and gain money? Callow attitudes?

14. The contrast with Ben, the student, researching? Nice? His background, age? Meeting Mira, the first date and his advance, his apology, the relationship? Mira's telling the truth about him? Their final decision to separate - Mira's acknowledgement that he should marry, have children and be a father?

15. Val and her freedom, voicing the attitudes of the author? Her freethinking daughter?

16. Hatley and his he-man attitudes, demands on his wife, the discussions about study? His wife and her affair with Esel?

17. Esel and her story? Her relationship with Harley's wife? Coming to tell the story to Mira?

19. The importance of the picnic sequence, the relationship between the women, comfortable with themselves, telling Mira the feminist stances and encouraging her?

19. The change in Mira, from a young girl to a lecturer? Her lecturer, reading the quotation--.about woman: a woman is one who has choices? The standing applause at the end?

20. An enjoyable story? Points being made? The feminist perspective? The validity of the message?